Workout Move of the Day!

As marathon training continues to peak, I have been taking more yoga classes than I usually do. In athletic yoga today, we did an advanced version of the traditional Chaturunga.

From About.com:



Traditional Chaturunga:

Benefits: Strengthens the arms, wrists and abdomen. Good preparation for more challenging arm balances.

Chaturunga is like a push-up, and as such is a great arm strengthener. It is part of the Sun Salutation vinyasa sequence of poses.

Instructions:

1. From Plank position, bend the arms straight back, keeping the upper arms hugging into your sides.

2. Lower down toward the floor, stopping when your forearms and upper arms are at a right angle.

3. Keep the whole body very level.

4. Push back into the heels.

5. Roll over the toes coming into Upward Facing Dog.

Beginners: Drop your knees to the floor until you build enough strength to support the body with the arms. Practice Knees, Chest and Chin if Chaturunga is not possible.

Advanced: Hold the pose before coming forward into Up Dog. If you have tried practicing Plank with one leg at a time lifted, try moving into Chaturunga while keeping your leg lifted.
*This is what we did!

Such a great move. I didn't feel like I was in Yoga. I felt like I was in bootcamp! I was literally shaking by the end. Try it and let me know what you think!